Federal leaders’ debates set for April 16 and April 17 but TVA cancels third debate because Carney won’t participate

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Leaders’ debates ahead of the federal election will take place in Montreal on April 16 and April 17, but a major private-sector broadcaster in Quebec is pulling the plug on its plans for a third face-off because the Liberals have declined to participate.

The Leaders’ Debates Commission, an independent public body that organizes federal leaders’ debates, announced the plan for the French (April 16) and English (April 17) debates on Monday.

Quebecor, which owns TVA, said the Bloc Québécois, the Conservative Party and the NDP had accepted the broadcaster’s invitation for another French-language debate before it was cancelled. TVA was asking each of the parties to contribute $75,000 to cover the cost of producing the debate.

Louis-Philippe Neveu, executive producer of the planned debate, said in the statement the financial request was necessary because of the difficult financial, economic and competitive situation affecting TVA Group as well as the entire industry – except the CBC.

During the 2021 federal election campaign, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet all participated in the TVA debate.

On Monday, Mr. Blanchet, during a news conference in Quebec City, criticized Liberal Leader Mark Carney for not participating in the debate, suggesting he was trying to deny the Bloc of a platform for discussing Quebec issues. “This is not the behaviour of somebody who has been well-equipped with courage,” he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also told a news conference in Brampton, Ont., that he was interested in participating in the TVA debate.

Mr. Singh told reporters on his campaign bus in the Toronto area on Monday evening that Mr. Carney’s refusal to participate in the debate, resulting in its cancellation, is “insulting to Quebeckers.” Mr. Singh said he has participated in the event during election campaigns since becoming a federal party leader.

“I know people rely on this as an opportunity to hear about issues that matter to Quebec,” he said. “I think in a democracy, more debates are better.”

In a statement, Liberal spokesperson Guillaume Bertrand confirmed Mr. Carney would not participate in the planned TVA debate, but is looking forward to the two debates put on by the Leaders’ Debates Commission.

Asked to elaborate on why the Liberal Leader would not be participating, Mr. Bertrand said he had no additional statement to make on the matter.

The French-language debate planned by the commission will be held at 8 p.m. ET, and moderated by Patrice Roy, the news anchor of Radio-Canada’s Le Téléjournal avec Patrice Roy and ICI RDI’s En direct avec Patrice Roy.

Steve Paikin, host of the current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO, Ontario’s public broadcaster, will moderate the English-language debate, which will be held at 7 p.m. ET.

Both debates will be held at the headquarters of Radio-Canada in Montreal.

With a report from Kristy Kirkup